Featured Hotels

I really enjoyed my stay here!! There were five if us that stayed - three guys in one room, and two girls in the other.

Absolutely impressed by my stay at the hotel, so much so that my view of Dali is at its best
Location: Very handy. At the bottom of one of the main centers with shops, bars, supermarket etc nearby. Also not far from many sightseeing attractions for a Cab to take you.
Hotel: Beautiful. Its very welcoming and pretty grande when you walk in. It has stone features and a chandelier which is quite impressive. The receptionist was very helpful. Although we had a firm grasp of Mandarin, they still had english speakers on offer. They even offered umbrellas when the weather was terrible. Thank you staff! Oh, the pool was awesome. Even though it was winter, and i was the only one swimming, it was quite refreshing!!
Rooms: BEST! Of all the rooms in China the five of us had stayed at, we all thought that the Dali Regent Hotel had the Best rooms!!! We had two King sized Beds (maybe even queen; we;re not specialists lol), air con, hot showers, bath etc. we were majorly impressed by the rooms that the small town offered.
Price: EXCEPTIONAL. with all taken into account, the rooms were very well priced - too well if you ask me. Value for money, definitel.

Jim's Tibetan Hotel is traditional Chinese building with rooms overlooking an outdoor courtyard. It is lovingly maintained by Jim and and has all the modern conveniences you need.

It is also very quiet, although that may be because we were the only people staying at the time! Jim does a breakfast of pancakes, yoghurt and muesli but the hotel is so close to town I would suggest skipping this and eating at one of the many places inside the city walls. I would highly recommend going to Jim's favourite Chinese place for dinner, just down the hill from the hotel. Just point to the raw ingredients and leave it up to the chef how to cook them. We chose beef, eggplant and beans and the dishes were all amazing.

After reading fairly negative reviews we were not expecting much, but on our arrival we were met by Yuan who spoke English well and answered all our questions.

The lobby was indeed impressive. We bought yoghurt for the breakfast next day but could not get the staff to understand that we wanted it in fridge. However, minutes later an English speaker rang our room to find out our request and whisked the yoghurt away. The next morning it was returned to us but we found the Chinese breakfast of noodles, eggs and buns tasty and satisfying so we did not need the yoghurt.We hired Yuan for the day and he took us on an interesting tour around the lake. It was much more interesting and picturesque than we had expected. He also gave us suggestions for dining and information on how to find specific places. Would be happy to recommend this place and especially Yuan to others.

this hotel is located about 200 feet off one of the main roads of old town dali, so it is quiet and separated from all the street noise.

two story building built in chinese courtyard style arrangement. very new facility with extra large rooms and bathrooms. very comfortable king bed. everything was very clean, actually spotless clean. wi-fi was great, they have cable tv, but all chinese channels (on the other hand, who comes to dali to watch tv!?)
staff has limited english fluency so it helps if you can speak some mandarin, but not absolutely necessary. what they might have lacked in english fluency they made up for in enthusiasm and an effort to be of service.
it is a 5 to 10 minute walk to the central area of old dali, which i liked because central old dali can be quite a noisy and crowded area. i liked being able to walk back to my quiet hotel at the end of the day or night.

What an incredible stay with wonderful people! My mother was sick with liquid in her lungs and they provided a heater, some home-made soup and medicine to help her out.

They provided great suggestions on restaurants and went out of their way to make sure we got to where we needed to go when site-seeing. I was blown away by the consideration extended by this family. I wouldn't want to stay in a a hotel again, knowing this is available.

Traveler impressions of Dali

The Dali is a must go place on your list if you would like to see spectacular mountains, blue sky, vast lake (so vast that local name it as sea) just below the mountains and last but not least the great Buddhist temple with the famous three ancient pagodas which you will need to climb a lot of stairs to reach.

However, you should ascend slowly to avoid high altitude sickness and apply more lotion to block the strong UV.

The untouched ancient city bring you back to the old dynasty. Food, way of life and building resemble the same old days of once upon a time.

Tan,Singapore

We entered Dali Ancient Town by the North Gate. From the North Gate to the Foreigner Street, the shops and goods were of much interest as they cater mainly to locals.

We managed to get some good buys and good food especially along RenMin Lu. Especially memorable was the freshly and manually squeezed pomegranate juice that went for Y10 per cup. The little restaurants also displayed their fresh produce and the prices were clearly stated in their printed menu and quite reasonable. The dishes were also delicious. However, once pass the Foreigner street, the place got extremely touristy and uninteresting. Even with all those tourist shops around, some parts look deserted as even the tourist shuns them. Some areas reek of stale urine too. It would appear that these areas have become the haunts of local old men who sit around smoking.

Main attractions are the 3 pagodas/temple and Dali old town (once a fortified city).
The new city (Xiaguan) at the south end of Erhai Lake should not be missed either.

The pace at Xiaguan seems more relaxed than old town without the hordes of tourists. Xiaguan feels like a border town rather than a city and you can watch the locals (and school kids) in their daily routine without the tourist hype.

The Demi-Gods and Semi-Demons studio city was surprisingly interesting, a good place for photos. The Three Pagodas was very expensive (121 yuan, $20), and of little interest and commercial, very bland, like a theme park.

They rebuilt the city walls in the 1990s as they were destroyed in the 1950s.
There is a lot of cultural history in Dali, and you can feel it.

Dali ancient town is relatively bigger than ancient towns in Lijiang. Thus it is not so crowded. Generally, I found the people in Dali are friendlier than those in Lijiang.

Chong Hooi,Malaysia

Dali old town is in the same transformation process from ancient town that Lijiang suffered. The town is covered by souvenir shops selling the same stuff you will get in all china.

Tourist crowds are everywhere, noisy and with a total lack of respect. However Dali has a few charming streets with real old houses, the one that points to the lake.
Dali old town has good Yunnanese restaurants and you can find a very few shops with real minority people articles.

We found it difficult to navigate our way around Dali. We had with us a Chinese companion and a driver and still were very frustrated trying to communicate and see the things we intended to see.

We traveled with 4 girls between the ages of 8-10, two moms and a Chinese travel companion. On one of the days we hired local people to take us up the mountain on horseback, and felt we had been very misled on price. Additionally, two of the horses were at each other the entire time and near the end of the ride reared up repeatedly and nearly threw two of our girls. We tried to visit the lake, and see traditional architecture and our driver was never able to get us there. Overall the trip was disappointing.

After traveling in northern China and hitting a lot of the more prominent cities, Old Dali was a jewel of a find.

Throw a stone and you'll find a comfortable and cheap and funky hotel. Yummy food all over (Eastern, Western, Vegetarian). All sorts of hikes and outdoor activities to get involved in. Coffee shops galor. We extended our stay here and would come back again in a heartbeat.

A small, walled old city with different minority groups, each with different hand crafts for sale. A lot of junk to sift through, but some lovely things to be found.

A lot of causal restaruants with inexpensive, delicious food. We enjoyed having a "western" breakfast each morning, but something local in the evenings. The mountains are beautiful, and we regret not taking enough time to really explore the waterfront. People were friendly and it was nice to be somewhere other than a huge city.

GREAT place to relax and enjoy! Better than Lijiang. Less tourists. The lake is beautiful and the city full of life.

Keller-Lorenz,Austria

We toured Dali before leaving for Lijiang, and we prefer Dalizhen over Lijaing many times over. Where Lijiang is overly commercialized, Dali still retains its old charm and if you have time to explore the many alleys and streets, you will have many pleasant finds and interesting photos.

Lee,Australia

Rent a bike and go around - there are a number of good markets in the villages surrounding 'old Dali'.

Koestli,Switzerland

Charming old town with fascinating history. The Three Pagodas must be seen. Great shopping and a good range of bars/restaurants to suit all tastes.

Don't come expecting 5 star standards however. The town has a relaxed bustle to it - we enjoyed it thoroughly.

Discover the neighborhoods of Dali

Find the Perfect Type of Accommodation

More about Dali

Once one of the world’s 13 largest cities, Dali is today an excellent destination for a relaxing retreat and is popular with backpackers. Scenic areas and historical sites are abundant, and the 25 ethnic minorities that live here have created a unique cultural heritage. Dali is divided into two areas known as the Ancient City and the New District – also known as Xiaguan. The city is served by Dali Airport.

Within Dali, the scenic areas of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake garner the most attention for their beauty and the sights that can be found here. Islands, temples, and villages surround the lake and make for excellent exploration. Cangshan Mountain is a visual marvel when snowcapped and is reputed for its snow, clouds, springs, and marble. Cultural relics of the Bai people can be explored here, and so too can the Three Pagodas and Inaction Temple. Within Dali, the Ancient City is a popular draw and dates back to the Ming Dynasty, boasting traditional architecture and small, handworked fields. The Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture Museum and Foreigner Street are but a couple more popular venues for travelers to the city of Dali.

Be sure to check out the interactive map of Dali for information on hotel locations, attractions, and must-see destinations.